The Cook's Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCCDEFGHHIHHJKLMMN OHHHHPPQQRJ SOOOTHOHL U HHVUUULLHHKKHWXYZHHH A2B2UXC2LLLLOUJLD2 HHHHHHHHHHOHD2D2LE2H HULHHD2F2

THE Cook of London while the Reeve thus spakeA
For joy he laugh'd and clapp'd him on the backB
'Aha ' quoth he 'for Christes passionC
This Miller had a sharp conclusionC
Upon this argument of herbergage lodgingD
Well saide Solomon in his languageE
Bring thou not every man into thine houseF
For harbouring by night is perilousG
Well ought a man avised for to be a man should take good heedH
Whom that he brought into his privityH
I pray to God to give me sorrow and careI
If ever since I highte Hodge of Ware was calledH
Heard I a miller better set a work handledH
He had a jape of malice in the derk trickJ
But God forbid that we should stinte here stopK
And therefore if ye will vouchsafe to hearL
A tale of me that am a poore manM
I will you tell as well as e'er I canM
A little jape that fell in our city 'N
-
Our Host answer'd and said 'I grant it theeO
Roger tell on and look that it be goodH
For many a pasty hast thou letten bloodH
And many a Jack of Dover lt gt hast thou soldH
That had been twice hot and twice coldH
Of many a pilgrim hast thou Christe's curseP
For of thy parsley yet fare they the worseP
That they have eaten in thy stubble gooseQ
For in thy shop doth many a fly go looseQ
Now tell on gentle Roger by thy nameR
But yet I pray thee be not wroth for game angry with my jestingJ
A man may say full sooth in game and play '-
'Thou sayst full sooth ' quoth Roger 'by my fayS
But sooth play quad play lt gt as the Fleming saithO
And therefore Harry Bailly by thy faithO
Be thou not wroth else we departe here part companyO
Though that my tale be of an hostelere innkeeperT
But natheless I will not tell it yetH
But ere we part y wis thou shalt be quit ' lt gt assuredlyO
And therewithal he laugh'd and made cheer lt gtH
And told his tale as ye shall after hearL
-
THE TALEU
-
-
A prentice whilom dwelt in our cityH
And of a craft of victuallers was heH
Galliard he was as goldfinch in the shaw lively groveV
Brown as a berry a proper short fellawU
With lockes black combed full fetisly daintilyU
And dance he could so well and jollilyU
That he was called Perkin RevellourL
He was as full of love and paramourL
As is the honeycomb of honey sweetH
Well was the wenche that with him might meetH
At every bridal would he sing and hopK
He better lov'd the tavern than the shopK
For when there any riding was in Cheap lt gtH
Out of the shoppe thither would he leapW
And till that he had all the sight y seenX
And danced well he would not come againY
And gather'd him a meinie of his sort company of fellowsZ
To hop and sing and make such disportH
And there they sette steven for to meet made appointmentH
To playen at the dice in such a streetH
For in the towne was there no prenticeA2
That fairer coulde cast a pair of diceB2
Than Perkin could and thereto he was free he spent money liberallyU
Of his dispence in place of privity where he would not be seenX
That found his master well in his chaffare merchandiseC2
For oftentime he found his box full bareL
For soothely a prentice revellourL
That haunteth dice riot and paramourL
His master shall it in his shop abie suffer forL
All have he no part of the minstrelsy althoughO
For theft and riot they be convertibleU
All can they play on gitern or ribible guitar or rebeckJ
Revel and truth as in a low degreeL
They be full wroth all day as men may see at varianceD2
-
This jolly prentice with his master bodeH
Till he was nigh out of his prenticehoodH
All were he snubbed both early and late rebukedH
And sometimes led with revel to NewgateH
But at the last his master him bethoughtH
Upon a day when he his paper lt gt soughtH
Of a proverb that saith this same wordH
Better is rotten apple out of hoardH
Than that it should rot all the remenantH
So fares it by a riotous servantH
It is well lesse harm to let him pace pass goO
Than he shend all the servants in the place corruptH
Therefore his master gave him a quittanceD2
And bade him go with sorrow and mischanceD2
And thus this jolly prentice had his leve desireL
Now let him riot all the night or leave refrainE2
And for there is no thief without a louke lt gtH
That helpeth him to wasten and to souk spendH
Of that he bribe can or borrow may stealU
Anon he sent his bed and his arrayL
Unto a compere of his owen sort comradeH
That loved dice and riot and disportH
And had a wife that held for countenance for appearancesD2
A shop and swived for her sustenance prostituted herselfF2

Geoffrey Chaucer



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